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The Clark Fork Voluntary Nutrient Reduction Program (VNRP) was a multi-party agreement between state government, municipal governments, private industry and environmental groups with the explicit goal to: “restore beneficial uses and eliminate nuisance algae growth in the Clark Fork from Warm Springs to the Flathead confluence…”

The VNRP was carried out from 1998-2008 by Butte-Silver Bow County, City of Deer Lodge, Missoula City-County government, City of Missoula, Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation, DEQ and the Clark Fork Coalition, all facilitated by the Tri-State Water Quality Council, based in Sandpoint, Idaho. The work done by the VNRP signatories was recognized nationwide, and prominently highlighted in numerous EPA case studies and documents about how to do nutrient management at a river basin scale.

* VNRP signatories decreased nutrient discharge in all areas of the river, including decreases of wastewater nutrients of 30% in total nitrogen and 72% in total phosphorus from 1988 to 2008.

*This effort translated into major reductions of nutrients in the Clark Fork, both in the upper river and in the middle river near Missoula, with mean total phosphorus concentrations dropping by half during the period 1988-2007.

*The algae targets were met about 30% of the time in the upper and middle river, and 70% of the time in the river below Missoula, with an improving trend in compliance downstream of Missoula. The upper Clark Fork near Deer Lodge has tougher algae targets, and a notoriously difficult species of algae to control, and that trend is not yet showing improvement.

Start Date

5-3-2010 10:45 AM

End Date

5-3-2010 11:15 AM

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Since March 22, 2017

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Mar 5th, 10:45 AMMar 5th, 11:15 AM

Voluntary Nutrient Reduction Program 1998-2008

The Clark Fork Voluntary Nutrient Reduction Program (VNRP) was a multi-party agreement between state government, municipal governments, private industry and environmental groups with the explicit goal to: “restore beneficial uses and eliminate nuisance algae growth in the Clark Fork from Warm Springs to the Flathead confluence…”

The VNRP was carried out from 1998-2008 by Butte-Silver Bow County, City of Deer Lodge, Missoula City-County government, City of Missoula, Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation, DEQ and the Clark Fork Coalition, all facilitated by the Tri-State Water Quality Council, based in Sandpoint, Idaho. The work done by the VNRP signatories was recognized nationwide, and prominently highlighted in numerous EPA case studies and documents about how to do nutrient management at a river basin scale.

* VNRP signatories decreased nutrient discharge in all areas of the river, including decreases of wastewater nutrients of 30% in total nitrogen and 72% in total phosphorus from 1988 to 2008.

*This effort translated into major reductions of nutrients in the Clark Fork, both in the upper river and in the middle river near Missoula, with mean total phosphorus concentrations dropping by half during the period 1988-2007.

*The algae targets were met about 30% of the time in the upper and middle river, and 70% of the time in the river below Missoula, with an improving trend in compliance downstream of Missoula. The upper Clark Fork near Deer Lodge has tougher algae targets, and a notoriously difficult species of algae to control, and that trend is not yet showing improvement.